I have been creating and selling my Halloween art on eBay and Etsy since 2006. I have been a fine artist my whole life and love Halloween. I was inspired to start creating Halloween art by fellow EHAG artist Pennie Griff (eBay Seller ID: vintagepennie). I feel my art has come full-circle in the fact that Pennie loves and collects my art as well.How would you describe the artwork you create?

I would describe my artwork as whimsical with touches of humor added into the mix. I'm inspired by vintage Halloween designs initially and then I like to add my own CK modern twist. I'm personally fond of black and white pen & ink illustrations that are very bold in design. I find in my art that less is more and the design is the most important element.

What is your greatest challenge creatively?

My greatest challenge creatively is painting. My strong suit is pen & ink illustration. I would like to better hone my painting skills in the future.

What are your artistic plans for the future?

After doing 200+ Halloween postcards the past 3 years, I'm ready for a change of pace creatively. I will be taking a break from the postcard art until after Halloween of this year. Starting in August through Halloween, I will be focusing on hand painting found decorative and functional items. Like I've stated before I'm itching to paint, paint, and paint! I would also like to get into Paper Clay sculpture in the future. I'm the type that likes to master one medium at a time before moving on to the next one.

What do you like best about being a member of EHAG?

The best part of being a member of EHAG is the support from fellow members. We are like a big happy Halloween family and are always there for each other. I do appreciate the added exposure & recognition that also comes with being in our talented group of artisans.

What was your favorite childhood Halloween costume and why?

(Hard to pick I've had SO many favorite costumes over the years!) ~ My favorite childhood Halloween costume was Paul Stanley from the rock group Kiss. It was one of those 5 & Dime boxed mask and plastic suit combos. You know the ones where you put on the plastic pants, and took one step and it ripped! ~ Hehe '-)

Do you have any Halloween Traditions?

My favorite Halloween tradition started when I was 13 years old. I started my first haunted house display for the trick-or-treaters at that age. I would work all summer mowing grass to save the money to make my homemade Halloween dummies and props. My parents, family, and neighborhood kids loved it. Loved it so much I was featured in our local paper on the front page for my Halloween display. That was my 15 minutes of fame I guess. I still do my display each year and it becomes more elaborate in design and execution each year. I have hanging ghosts, hundreds of yard lights, animated witch, fog machine, piped scary music, and I usually carve 5-6 jack-o-lanterns for display outside. I start putting stuff out towards the end of September. It takes me a full month to get everything in place and organized. I also do a yearly Halloween tree with a different theme as well.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Most of my inspirations come from things I like in life, music, art, movies, literature, and antiques. I think the idea of a piece is what makes it special. I keep a sketch book around at all times to jot down ideas as they flash before me. I have designs from 2006 that are still waiting for their debut. I try to stay away from watching much television as I believe it saps creativity.

"Open the Vault" tell us a secret that not many people know about you:

"Open the Vault" ~ Hmmm...I used to be painfully shy to the point where others saw me as a loner in school. I've since worked out of being shy but I'm still a very private and reserved person.

Give us a peak of your work space: Come on down to the lab...and see what's on the slab.

EHAG Emporium Blog Sale --- March 31st, 9 PM Eastern

ABOUT US

Welcome to EHAG, the premiere online Halloween Art group! Founded in April 2006, we are a gathering of professional Halloween artists and collectors whose work celebrates the magic of All Hallows Eve, all year. Artists and collectors whose primary interest is Halloween can become members of EHAG. However, we are a highly juried group and membership is therefore selective. Members meet online for support, to network and exchange ideas. We focus our creative attention toward the whimsical and happy-spirited side of Halloween. Our work can be found on eBay by searching "EHAG", The EHAG Emporium, Etsy & the individual artist links to blogs and websites provided here below. Thank you for stopping by and for supporting EHAG!